Fuzzy navigation for an autonomous mobile robot

Navigation for an autonomous mobile robot implies that the robot reaches a set destination on its own without human intervention in an environment not specially designed for it. This paper explains such a fuzzy navigational algorithm for such a robot, which uses a layered motion controller. The platform developed for this robot is modular. It consists of a supervisor, a motor driver, and a sensor module. This paper briefly discusses the hardware and focuses on the software developed for this modular platform. The developed motion controller is made up of four layers. The first layer, which is the protection layer, is used to produce a corrective action based on the absolute distance measured by the robot´s side sensors (ultrasonic sensors). The second layer, which is the orientation layer, maintains the robot pointed in the general direction of the goal frame to achieve the final destination. The orientation layer output control action depends on the sensor input and on the difference between the robot´s current orientation and that of the goal frame. The third layer, which is the PD (proportional-plus-derivative) control layer, directs the robot through passageways efficiently. The fourth layer is the obstacle avoidance layer, which utilizes ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles and correct for unexpected changes in the environment.